The present application relates to powered woodworking machines, such as jointer/planers, and specifically to such machines having associated sawdust collection systems.
In woodworking, jointers are used for providing a square or level edge to boards, and also for gradually reducing the thickness of stock wood to desired dimensions. Jointers are used with a fixed position, rotating cutter located between two adjacent jointer beds. One of the beds is fixed relative to the cutter, and the other bed is adjustable in height relative to the other and the fixed cutter to adjust the amount of material removed with each pass of the subject board. The user places the board upon the bed and pushes it over the cutter, which works the lower edge of the wood. A fence is typically provided to create a square edge.
A planer is typically referred to as a wood leveling or reducing device used for cleaning up rough faces or creating uniform board thickness, such as leveling bowed or warped boards or otherwise reducing thickness. Planers are typically provided with a fixed position rotating cutter which works on an upper edge of a board as it is fed through the machine upon a planer bed. The bed can be raised or lowered relative to the cutter using a crank. This vertical adjustment is for regulating the thickness of the desired board after planing.
Combined jointer/planers are available, in which the same cutter is used for both jointing and planing. Such units are popular in locations where shop floor space is limited. In some units, the jointer beds are removed or moved out of the way to convert the unit from jointing to planing. In conventional jointer/planers, a dust hood is provided for collecting sawdust and wood chips. The hood is either rotatable to convert from jointing to planing, or is removably attachable to accommodate both operations. A hose from a conventional shop vacuum is connected to a port on the dust hood. Such a system is awkward in that the vacuum requires additional shop floor space, generates additional noise and requires a separate power source.
In commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,473 is disclosed a wood planing machine which is actually a jointer according to the above definition, having a dust collection system with a powered impeller and an external dust conduit system. The dust collection impeller is powered by the same motor as the cutter blade and creates a suction adjacent a woodworking blade which collects sawdust generated during the jointing operation. The collected sawdust and shavings are transported to a separate collection container or trash box, from which the collected material may be disposed. However the unit disclosed in the '473 patent is incapable of planing as that operation is described above.